OnePlus 15 proves it’s the toughest flagship you can actually buy

Every new flagship faces the crucible of durability, but the OnePlus 15 didn’t just survive Zack Nelson’s (JerryRigEverything) infamous gauntlet; it redefined what “tough” means in 2025.

This latest device from OnePlus proves it has the structural integrity to stand up to the most catastrophic failures of its rivals. And right from the first blade scrape, it was clear this phone wasn’t going to fold like so many glass-sandwich flagships that crack under pressure. Nelson’s scratch, burn, and bend tests are known for revealing weak spots, but the OnePlus 15 held up well.

The Gorilla Glass Victus 2 screen only got light scratches at Mohs level 6 and deeper ones at level 7, which is better than many recent high-end phones. The burn test had almost no effect, with no melting or discoloration that would suggest low-quality materials. The bend test also showed the phone stayed solid, with very little flex in the front and none in the back.

Much of this strength comes from the choices OnePlus made in the design. The Sand Storm finish uses a fiberglass-reinforced plastic back instead of glass. That might not sound exciting, but it doesn’t crack under pressure. It does scratch more easily, but it avoids the shattering that often ruins glass-backed phones after a single concrete kiss.

Meanwhile, the aluminum frame, treated with OnePlus’ micro-arc oxidation (MAO) process, held up surprisingly well to razor-edge abuse. OnePlus claims this MAO-treated frame is 1.3× more resistant than titanium, and while that’s marketing math, the knife test at least shows there’s some truth to it. The whole structure wraps around a huge 7,300mAh dual-cell battery and a design with unusually high durability ratings, making the phone feel purpose-built to resist everyday chaos.

If you’re the type who drops your phone off a sofa armrest twice a week, the OnePlus 15’s performance comes with real peace-of-mind value.